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Greatest Roads: TOP 10 DRIVES
1. Hahntennjoch / Vorarlberg / Austria
As you turn onto this pass, you just feel it’s going to be something special. Surrounding peaks are tall, but not so aggressive (like some of the central Swiss Alps where you can become dizzy looking up). Tarmac is near perfect (typically Austrian) and that’s exactly what the run to the top is. The initial climb to the “official” start of the pass is quite tight, with some scary drop offs. It’s a green and beautiful valley with a fair...
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2. Furka Pass / Central Swiss Alps
At number 2 a pass made famous by the Aston DB5 / Ford Mustang chase in James Bond's Goldfinger. The Furka is another stunning 5 star pass in the central Swiss Alps, part of the "Big 3" interconnected passes close by to Andermatt. The pass also takes you within a few hundred meters of the Rhone Glacier, source of the Rhone river. Here you can park up and walk up to and actually inside the glacier itself. ...
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3. Stelvio Pass / South Tyrol / Italy
The Stelvio Pass - it's not the most beautiful, but certainly one of the highest (official the third highest in the Alps at 2757M) and most dramatic mountain passes to drive in the European Alps. Of course much was made of the pass after Top Gear voted this the best driving road in the world in 2008. A pretty bold claim, and actually in our opinion it's not the best pass in the Alps to "drive" however, that said, it...
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4. Col de la Bonnette / Alps Maritimes
Possibly one of the most famous roads in the Alps, due to the fact that it is, at 2807M, the highest road in Europe. The actual pass finishes at around 2700M with an addition taking it to the full height, a recent addition that the French added to retain the title. As surprising as it is, the ascent is not as difficult as would be expected of the highest road in Europe, the road surface is very smooth and the...
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5. St Bernardino Pass / Central Swiss Alps
One of the most beautiful and "smoothest" passes in the Alps, and therefore often frequented by vintage rally drives. The last time we drove, there was a procession of over 100 old Citroen's making there way down to a rally by Lake Maggiore, in then town of Ascona, Ticino. The approach to the pass (from the south) runs along one of the beautiful valleys in Switzerland, the Mesolcina. Although in Switzerland, the architecture in this valley (south of...
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6. Route 500 / Black Forest / Germany
Ahhh the Black Forest and it's seemingly endless number of sweeping trails and deserted roads, a bikers and drivers dream. One of it's finest is the northern stretch of the elevated Schwarzwald Hochstrasse, route 500. A road that combines glass smooth sweeping sections elevated above the forest with a dramatic switchback run back through the forest to Baden Baden. WARNING. The only minus to this road is because it is a pretty major road...
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7. Silvrettastrasse / Vorarlberg / Austria
This is a very impressive 30km stretch of road, that takes in Silvretta Hochalpenstrasse toll road, a run directly through a preserved national park. The run up from the East can be briefly interrupted by a diversion just outside of Galtur up to Kops Stausee, a short twisty and steep ascent, but actually with good views since the valley is pretty must pastures at this point. The artificial lake Kaps at the top is quite interesting to run around, and...
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8. Route Napoleon / Alps Maritimes
The current Route Napoléon, first opened in 1932, follows the route taken by Napoléon I (Napoléon Bonaparte) in 1815 on his march from Elba to Grenoble. Napoléon had abdicated in April of 1814 and gone to Elba (history). In March of 1815, he began his journey with the intention to overthrow Louis the 18th. The historical aspect makes this road even better, Napoleon traced the route through the Alps leading to fabulous scenery and views. The route itself begins in...
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9. Flüela Pass / Graubunden / Swiss
This is an excellent pass along an extremely quiet valley, with limited villages - this aspect allows you to get into a great driving rhythm, without having to slow down and then speed up again every few kilometers as you approach villages. Starting from the north (Davos) end of the path, the initial rise up is through a beautiful alpine forest, with a nice collection of wide sweeping bends running into one another. As you rise further up the...
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10. Klausen Pass / Central Swiss
Note: Pass opens first week of June, subject to prevailing weather. The Klausen is the first "major" alpine pass you reach driving south from Zurich, in fact, using the highway you can be at the foot of the pass in a little over 1 hour - it really is a passage directly into the heart of the Alps. The great thing about the Klausen pass, unlike some other passes, is there is a highway alternative, therefore the traffic on the pass...
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